Skip to content

AIS Prevention Tips for Water Gardeners

Water gardening is a popular hobby and is one of the fastest growing branches of the aquarium trade. While water gardens are beautiful and promote feelings of serenity and calm, they can also represent troubled waters. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) can be accidentally introduced and spread by water gardening activities. It’s important that water gardeners […]

AIS Prevention Tips for Aquarium Owners

The aquarium industry is a popular hobby in the United States, with more than 13 million households maintaining aquariums. However, when owners decide they no longer want, or can no longer take care of the animals and plants in their aquariums, species are often released into the natural environment where they can establish and become […]

Elige lo nativo

Guía de Pensilvania para el uso de especies nativas en el paisajismo y jardinería acuática Esta guía es un recurso portátil que ayuda a paisajistas profesionales, propietarios de viviendas y aficionados a la jardinería a elegir especies nativas en lugar de no nativas, ornamentales o incluso invasoras para paisajismo, jardines y jardines acuáticos. Ya sea […]

Choose Native

Pennsylvania’s Guide to Using Native Species in Landscaping and Water Gardening This guide serves as a portable resource to assist professional landscapers, homeowners, and garden enthusiasts in selecting native species over non-native, ornamental, or even invasive species for landscaping, gardens, and water gardens.  Whether constructing a garden from scratch, converting an existing garden, or completely […]

Aquatic food web changes to invasive Flathead Catfish along a natural invasion gradient

Biological invasions have the potential to significantly alter the structure and function of aquatic communities. Invasive predatory fish species are known to restructure food webs – since predatory fishes have a dominant influence on community structure in freshwater systems. The Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris is a large piscivorous catfish that is invasive in many parts […]

Population and pollutant estimates for invasive snails in Presque Isle State Park

Invasive species can have direct and indirect negative impacts on native communities. Freshwater snails—because of their diet variety, association with water and sediment, rapid reproduction rates, and obscure life history—can significantly impact the communities they invade. Our preliminary work has shown that Presque Isle State Park (PISP), located along Lake Erie’s shores, is now home […]

Hydrilla AIS Fact Sheet

Species at a Glance Hydrilla is a submerged, aquatic, perennial plant that grows and spreads at a very fast rate covering the surface of water bodies and restricting boating, fishing, swimming, and other recreational uses. Hydrilla is a federally listed noxious weed, and so it is illegal to possess, distribute, or transport Hydrilla in the […]

Pennsylvania Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species

Overview The Pennsylvania Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species is an in-depth guide to identifying, reporting, and preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS), produced by Pennsylvania Sea Grant. The nearly 200-page guide offers profiles of over 70 species of algae, aquatic and facultative plants, fish, invertebrates, pathogens, and reptiles. Each species profile includes photos […]

Organizing an Aquarium Pet Surrender Event Guide

Organizing an Aquarium Pet Surrender Event Acknowledgements This publication was developed by Pennsylvania Sea Grant with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Information in this guide was adapted from Habitattitude, Be a Hero Release Zero, and aquarium pet surrender initiatives led by Wisconsin Sea Grant, Minnesota Sea Grant, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Illinois […]

Pennsylvania Watercraft Inspection Handbook

Recreational boating is identified as a key pathway in the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) across the Great Lakes Basin including inland waterbodies (Rothlisberger et al., 2010). Indeed, waters everywhere are at risk of AIS influx via watercraft. Organisms, such as the Spiny Water Flea, Eurasian Watermilfoil, and Zebra and Quagga Mussels, can be […]

Join Our Newsletter

Keep up with the latest news and events by signing up below.


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from Sea Grant Pennsylvania. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.